Best of Enemies (2015): Dir: Robert Gordon, Morgan Neville / Featuring: William F. Buckley, Gore Vidal, Dick Cavett, Noam Chomsky, Christopher Hitchens: Insightful and often humorous account of the 1968 debate between Conservative William F. Buckley and challenging Liberal Gore Vidal. Directors Robert Gordon and Morgan Neville use archive footage and spectating interviews to convey and story the event that was cut into ten separate debates that shot the ratings high. It also brought to light just how far issues could go around the censors when the debate got heated. William Buckley is only featured in archive footage but his opinionated demeanor is established quickly as he sees fit to put forth rights that he views that the public should have. Not everyone agrees with this method and he finds an opponent in Gore Vidal. He is amusing often hardly jolted by Buckley's stance on his lifestyle. Buckley aims quickly at films that Vidal has been involved with, particularly pointing out anything he deems crass or unacceptable. Gore often smirks and causes verbal outbursts in Buckley with his subtle yet comical retaliation. In the end we witness two lonely men whose lifestyles were highly public. Buckley is asked late in the film if he has any regrets in life and he prefers not to speak of it. Gore is more flamboyant, showing off pictures in his house, particularly one from the debates featuring he and Buckley. Spectators including Dick Cavett offer their food for thought but in the end this is an observant and often funny documentary on the dispute between two individuals of opposites ends of the spectrum. Score: 10 / 10
Review of Best of Enemies
